SUSTAINABLE LIVING

Participate with me on the EcoChallenge 2011

Choose your own: http://www.ecochallenge.org/about_the_challenge/choose_your_ecochallenges

My EcoChallenge Plan:

1. Water Conservation

Reducing your individual or household water use can help save the planet—and save you money.

Use this list of suggestions to choose the ways that you want to conserve water. And don’t forget to update your profile and tell your friends and family about the ways you are achieving your EcoChallenge!

I Will:

Save 20 gallons of water per day by limiting shower time to 5 minutes
Save approximately 12 gallons of water by following the slogan ‘If its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down’ at least three times a day
Not buy bottled water and will rely on water filters and tap water (keep a container of cold water in the fridge to avoid running water unnecessarily while waiting for it to cool)
Limit the number of dish and clothes washing loads by only running the machines when they are full
Collect rain water in rain cisterns and use this water for outdoor water needs
Start a compost pile and refrain from using the sink disposal
Do dishes by hand in a sink basin instead of the dishwasher –unless I have a water efficient dishwasher and am running a full load
Harvest household gray water for appropriate water needs (re-using just 5 gallons of water a day will save 75 gallons of water during the EcoChallenge)
Seriously consider investing and researching water saving appliances (shower heads, faucets, toilets, dish and clothes washers)-- front load clothes washers save up to 7,000 gallons of water annually and over $100 a year in energy costs!
Sweep driveways, sidewalks, and gutters instead of using a hose
Wash cars at the car wash- it’s more efficient than doing it at home
Look into using toilet tank banks or float boosters to reduce the amount of water flushed
Put mulch around the base of your trees to prevent water runoff and increase absorbency
Plant drought resistant plants, shrubs, and trees
Insulate water pipes to avoid wasting water while waiting for the water to heat up
Put up signs in the office bathroom with a phone number or email to report water leaks and running toilets
Install low-flow toilets and faucet aerators at the office
Examine the landscaping at your business-- reduce the amount of lawn, choose native plants and create bioswales

Resources

Looking for more precise information on your water consumption?

If you are interested in the breakdown of your personal water use and want to thoroughly investigate your home, habits, and usage calculations please consider calculating your personal water use, and checking your house for leaks.

Calculate your individual daily and annual water consumption.

Check for Leaks

Check to see if you have any water leaks by recording your water meter at the beginning and end of a two hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same there is a leak.

Dripping faucets can waste 20 gallons of water a day. Keeping your equipment well maintained is essential and an inexpensive way to conserve water.

2. Trash Reduction

Living by the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) reduces our need for new sources of plastic, paper, metals, and other finite resources. It also cuts down on the amount of garbage that needs to be buried in landfills. Reducing trash output can save you money too (on new products and trash pickup) and ease strain on our ecosystems.

Ways to Reduce Your Waste During the EcoChallenge, and Beyond

Pick and choose from this list to create a plan that will work for you.
I will:

Bring my own reusable mug every time I buy coffee/tea on the go
Bring my own bags every time I shop during the EcoChallenge
Refrain from buying bottled water/juices/liquids and instead use a reusable mug or thermos
Make sure that my office has reusable cups/mugs/plates and silverware to minimize disposables
Refrain from buying new clothes, appliances, etc. during the EcoChallenge
Start a compost to reduce the amount of trash my household or workplace produces
Recycle and select products that are made from recycled materials--consider this for office supply purchases as well
If there isn’t one already in place, set up a recycling center at work
Clean out my home of unused appliances, items, clothes and donate them
Use only natural or organic cleaning products
Reuse 100% of non-recyclable plastics
Reuse office supplies, like binders, folders, rubber bands, etc.
Send inner-office mail in reused envelopes
Buy 90% of foods that are available in bulk from the bulk bins, in order to reduce the packaging that I buy and bring home
Buy used whenever possible (garage sales, Craigslist, Freecycle, and secondhand stores are all great resources)
Borrow, rent or share things you don’t use often-- for example, share a lawnmower or rent a carpet cleaner if you need one
Resist consumerism, weigh purchases carefully, always asking “do I need this?”
Buy milk in glass bottles that can be washed and reused
Choose durability and buy quality products. Maintain your things and repair items that can be repaired instead of replacing them.
Reuse paper and print on both sides
Take action to reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive
Maintain your vehicle so that it lasts as long as possible
Reuse a water bottle instead of buying bottled water
Buy products that are minimally packaged, or that use packaging that can be reused or recycled
Buy larger packages when possible- for example, one large bottle of detergent uses less plastic three smaller bottles
Don’t buy single serving goods or foods
Cook at home rather than eating take-out, which generally requires excessive packaging
Buy used electronics if possible, such as a refurbished laptop or recycled cell phones and rechargeable batteries
Talk to others about reducing their waste

Field Trip: Go To the Dump or Landfill during the EcoChallenge

It is easy to be unaware of the sheer enormity of waste we produce. We put our trash out in the morning and come afternoon it is magically gone. This system shields us from the process and visual evidence of how much trash is being sent to landfills. By going to a dump you may find inspiration to further cut down your own waste stream- or engage your friends and family in taking action to reduce their trash output.

For More Information, Check Out:

Guides and information regarding waste
The Secret Life Of T-Shirts
A list of great blogs and bloggers experimenting and reporting on their attempt to eliminate trash

Facts and Stats on Waste:

The average American generates 4.6 pounds of trash a day
American’s make up 5 % of the world’s population and generate 40% of the world’s waste
1/3 of the waste generated in the US is packaging
Recycling an aluminum soda can saves 96% of the energy used to make a new can from ore, and produces 95% less air pollution and 97% less water pollution
Every year the US fills enough garbage trucks to form a line that would stretch from the Earth halfway to the moon
Every year, nearly 900,000,000 trees are cut down to provide raw materials for American paper and pulp mills
The average American, in one lifetime, uses: 18 tons of paper, 23 tons of wood, 16 tons of metal, and 32 tons of organic chemicals
Throwing away one aluminum can wastes as much energy as if that can were 1/2 full of gasoline
As of 1992, 14 billion pounds of trash were dumped into ocean annually around the world
1,500 aluminum cans are recycled every second in the U.S.

3. Alternative Transportation

Many of us rely on our vehicle to get us from point A to point B, and it’s a habit that is hard to break. Do your body and the environment a favor by using alternative transportation! You’ll probably end up saving money too.
Use this list of suggestions to choose ways to accomplish your challenge, and don’t forget to update your profile on the EcoChallenge website to tell your friends and family about the ways you are achieving your EcoChallenge!
I Will:

bike or walk to run errands within 1 mile of my house or work
use alternative transportation methods to get to work
minimize my car trips by “chaining” together errands or by running errands on my way to/from work, instead of making a separate trip
cut my average weekly mileage by 25%
take the 2 mile challenge: I’ll bike or walk whenever I am going to be within a 2 mile radius
take the train or streetcar 3 times a week on a trip where I would normally take my car
carpool to work/school/party etc.
cut out the commute--work from home occasionally and bypass the commute entirely
try a virtual meeting, instead of traveling for business set up a video conference
take my gym routine outside and exercise outside during the EcoChallenge instead of driving to the gym
have a picnic and walk or biking to my destination
use human powered transportation for the entire 15 days of the EcoChallenge
purchase offsets for any air travel I need to do--for work or pleasure
examine the vehicles used by my company and advocate for fuel efficient vehicles and trucks

For more info, check out:

Trip Planner and Organizer includes information on distance, expenses, route and traffic www.drivelesssavemore.com
Car Sharing provides flexible wheels for an urban lifestyle. It’s instant-access to a network of cars throughout the city, 24 hours-a-day, paying-per-trip, without commitment or inconvenience: http://www.carsharing.net/
The latest resource on biking in the US including new legislation for reimbursement for employees that bike to work: http://www.bikeleague.org/resources/commuters/
Use Google Maps to calculate how much money you can save by taking public transit for your trips: http://maps.google.com/
In the market for a new or used car? Include fuel efficiency in your research: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

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